Transitioning from one country to another on the race always brings a lot of changes, but probably no transition on the race will bring as many as I just experienced. I'll try to catch you up here!
On the WR, team changes always happen between months 3 and 4 as new squad leaders are chosen and teams are rearranged. My old team leader, Christin, was selected as a new squad leader (WOOO CHRIN!!!), which resulted in my arrival in an entirely new team. I'm excited for what this new season will bring, even as I'm getting used to not having my Sisterhood girls around me. I'll try to write more about my team in an upcoming blog, but, if you'd like to stalk their blogs (ahem, Mom), the members of my new family, Team Ignition, are : John Michael & Ashley Bonasso, Majil Franz, Amaris Torres, Matt Bell, and Sam McGuire. (Don't stalk them yet! Finish reading my blog!!!)
Next, I was well aware that South Africa provided a lot of loved and missed comforts from home. (Coffee, comfortable couches, and clean bathrooms!) We were given a word at the beginning of the month that South Africa would be a watering hole for many of us, and I certainly experienced that refreshment. One of the messages that God really put on my heart last month had to do with the blessing of joyfully giving up comforts. I knew he was preparing my heart for what was coming…
2 Corinthians 4:11 “For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.”
Something clicked for me in a whole new way when I read this verse last month. I knew that most of my comforts would disappear once we got to Mozambique; but, isn't giving up comforts what dying to self is all about? Sometimes the comforts we die to are hard to describe, certain attitudes or perceived rights. Sometimes the comforts are pretty easy to describe- flushing toilets, doors on your home.
Remember the “Hunger Pains” blog about being thankful? I'm still working on it, and it's been good. Yesterday I thanked God for a cool breeze, fresh mangos, and the butterflies that are everywhere. I'm learning not to take anything for granted, and to find something to be thankful for in every circumstance. I can feel God's hands gently shaping my heart as I try to trust and obey him here in this place.
Mozambique is a beautiful place with beautiful people. When people picture going on the Race, they probably picture many of the very basic accommodations that I'm experiencing this month. We are living with our contact in his house, and I'll write more about our ministry as the month progresses. I get the feeling that we'll be making a lot of new friends here, and, I'm really looking forward to it.
I'll close with John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.” It's my privilege to give up my comforts, to lay down my life, for Jesus' sake. I'm learning.
We did indeed have a Mozambique bus adventure. I'm sure that somebody other than me will write about it, but, the short story is that we had two 24-hour bus rides, and one of them included sleeping on the bus (literally, some of our team slept on TOP of the bus) overnight outside of a bar in a random town. TIA: This is Africa.
Cold Shower & Coke Count: 19 & 9
